A Simple Plan
by Sen-Tay
Summary: AU:It's summer and Dais has goals he's attempting to accompish that are all but simple. Get a band, get the girl. Will Motomiya be able to round up a stellar crew and beat out the rival band? Dakari:Taikeru:Kenato
1. Chapter 1

**A Simple Plan**

**Author's Notes:**

Okay, don't you you dare give me those looks! I know, I've been major procrastinater! (that is, if you read my LJ you'll understand)

And, I know, I'm not supposed to be on , but right now I am rebelling against my rents! Whoot! Let's hear it for teen angst! Right Ty?

Ahh, sorry. I know I'll regret this later, but oh well. Here's a new story! Don't kill me for putting everyhting else on hold! Please! Mercy! I'm sorry! I'm lazy!

Actually, I don't think Better Off Dead is going to go any further. It's kinda just dead story.

And Zero 2, I just have major writer's block on it. Sorry.

Anywhos, (looks at the screen and sees all the As.. wow) TK, summary please!

TK: **It's summer and Dais has a lot of items on his to-do list. Well, sorta. But, the goals he's attempting to accompish are all but simple. Get a band, get the girl. So, when the Battle Of The Bands Bash happens with a three weeks notice, will Motomiya be able to round up a stellar crew and beat out the rival band? Not to mention, what will they name the band?**

Yep, it's another band story. It has previously been posted in my LJ. It's also an AU and has the futureness of being a Dakari, Taikeru (whoot! OTP!), and Kenato. Oh yea. Sweetness, no?

Besides that, read my LJ!!!! That is all.

TK: Read on.

**plan **

**chapter 1**

If you were a teenager, and the summer was upon you, what kind of things would you do?

"Welcome to Shakin' Bacon, home of the cardio-arrest. Can I get you a fried pork today?"

Definitely not be working at the local grease-pit, eh? Well, it paid, with money-not anything else. And I really needed the cash.

Of course, if there were any other way to get said money, I would've quit in a second. But there wasn't. So, I had to deal with wearing an off yellow shirt with red strips on the collar, topped off with a bacon-button decorated red visor.

"Enjoy your meal."

My blonde headed friend smiled sincerely at the family of four, all of which were extremely overweight and not needing the extra-crispy family fries nor Jumbo sized Heart-attack burgers, as he handed them their food.

As they walked away, the kids already digging into their Piglet Packets, I turned to my compadre and asked, "How can you act so darn happy? Those people are either going to die from high cholesterol, heart failure, clogged arteries, or choking on their burgers as they greedily stuff their food down their obese throats. And why? False advertising, that's why!

"We say, 'Hey! Eat our food! Sure, we let it sit in grease for ten minutes, fry it, then grease it again before sticking it in salt and serving it to you. And, sure, you'll probably look back on this when you're so heavy that you can't even see your toes anymore and think, "Why the hell did I super size those French fries?" But, hey! Don't think about that! Just think about how flippin happy our workers look. That must mean something! Now Jumbo size your entire order.' 

"The only reason why we're happy- and skinny I might add, except Benny, is because we all know better than to even touch anything made here."

Takeru Takashi shook his head at me, his bright blue eyes rolling. The only real blonde in Odiaba, other than his older brother, and he was my best friend, the optimist of my cynical joke-of-a life.

"Dai, if you don't like the way this place goes, then why are you still working here?"

Before I could rant on about how all the other availabilities weren't quite the option (since there weren't any- I was the last 16-year-old without a job by the beginning of June), the love of my life entered the said grease-pit that just so happened to be my last and only option.

Technically she wasn't in my life, just yet and at the time, but from the very second I saw her I knew. It was true love at first sight.

She was a brunette beauty, a real babe. With shoulder length hair and headphones draped around her neck, the wonder-girl approached my open register. Her eyes were honey-brown, and they flashed with light when she smiled, teeth perfectly white.

"Hi. As I newbie to the area, what do you suggest?"

Voice like an angel, no kidding. Not to mention, stellar body. She wore a red Ataris tee shirt, meant for a dude, but smoking on her. She added pizzazz to her look with acid-dyed pants (80's style) with holes on the knees (totally 80's) and pink and black converse- hightops.

"I'd suggest you get the hell outta here."

Instantly I felt pain. Saying a quite ouch, I turned to my right to see TK still standing there. "What?" I whispered.

He glared daggers at me and made motions with his head that I assumed meant to, like, kill it. But I pretended that I didn't notice.

Smiling at the glowing hottness before me, I said in my 'what's up' tone, "Yo, sorry about that. I just don't think you'd want to, like, you know, eat here."

She laughed and looked at me weirdly. "Why not? You don't poison the food, do you?"

Shrugging my shoulders, I casually said, "Well, me myself, no. But what with this place, this menu, and the people who are making the food, I wouldn't doubt it. Besides, even I wouldn't' want to subject my stomach, intestines and heart to the food here."

Ignoring TK's protesting faces and hand signals, I leaned over the counter and grinned. The girl kept smiling and had to contain herself from laughing straight out.

"So, is this how you greet newcomers to your town? Tell them that there could possibly be poison in the food?"

I held up my hands in defense. "Just here. But, anyways, so you're new here, eh?" I thrusted out my hand and said, "Well, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Daisuke Motomiya." Flashing my famous 'sly-carefree-charmer' toothy smile, I added, "Dai or Davis for short."

Just as she took my hand, another person walked into the bacon décor restaurant. This time it was a male brunette, with hair that stuck out in all directions. He was wearing dark sunglasses that he pushed up on top of his head when he entered.

Seeing the girl that I was getting acquainted with, he strolled over, already looking me up and down-and not in a good way I was guessing, since his face was expressing extreme dislike already.

"Hey Tai. Couldn't wait in the car?"

Still watching me out of the corner of his eyes, this Tai said, "You were taking a while. Obviously it was a good thing for me to see that was happening in here. Who's this?"

"This is Daisuke Motomiya, Dai or Davis for short. He said that he suggests that we get the hell outta here."

Taking my chance, I jumped in, letting go of the beauty's hand. "Exactly. Just look at this place! The menu is atrocious. I cannot let a perfectly weighted girl like you eat this crap."

While the still nameless lass laughed, her (I was guessing) bristled brother continued to glare my way. He had on a black shirt that had white letters saying, "Real Men Wear Black" and baggy-grunge jeans, green Vanns sticking out from under them.

Harshly he said, "We'll take two fries."

I smirked and pointed up at the board behind me, particularly at the section sub-labeled 'Fries'. "Would you like them regular, large, or family sized? Plain, cheese, chili, both, or one third plain, one third chili, and the other third cheese. Or maybe half plain and half cheese and chili. And then there's the crispy, extra-crisp, extra-extra crispy, fried, extra fried, extra-extra fried, or-"

"Alright!" Tai growled. His sister was still cracking up, holding her hand to her face and smirking my way. Winking at her, I punched buttons on my screen to agree with the angry brunette's requests. "Just give us regular, plain, regular fries, okay?"

Nodding, I was about to finish getting their order together and rack up the amount when I asked, "Is this for here or to go?"

I'm sure big-bad-brother was going to seethe "to go you punk", but the bella beat him to it. "We'll stay here please. And, two waters, too, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. Your total is $5.68." As I reached for two water cups, I felt something jab my stomach. I had almost forgotten about Takeru. While the siblings stood, gathering all loose change from their pockets and separating it from lint, candy wrappers and other assorted junk, I turned to face my friend.

He was so outta it, staring at the pissy brother like he'd never seen a human before. "Close you mouth Teeks, you're drooling," I whispered.

Automatically scowling, he remembered what he was going to tell me. OR so he thought. "I'll go, um, get that together. 'Cuse me."

And with that, he walked away. How he was going to get the food together, I did not know. That's the job of the people behind the wall and back in the grills. Poor slimy, pimply gits.

Chuckling to myself, for I knew what the problem was, I reached down to grab two water glasses from the cup dispensers. Right when I placed them onto the counter for the taking, the girl smiled my way and handed me the cash and change, exact amount.

I rung it up like a pro, letting the register door pop out and hit my hip, sliding in the bills, two quarters, dime, nickel, and three pennies into their rightful slots. Just as I used my thigh to slam it back shut, TK returned with their tray of plain, regular-regular fries.

"Here you are. Enjoy your meal."

She thanked my friend and me with a sweet smile, a nod, and a "thanks" and grabbed the tray, her brother grabbing the cups and throwing me one last snide glare before he turned away. Once they had walked away towards the tables and found an empty booth far-far distant from the front counter, TK leaned over and whispered into my ear, "What do you think?"

Yanking the pen that hung from the side of my register and clicking the on-off button, I cocked my head slightly to the left to get a better-angled look at the pair. "Hott. Real hott."

"I know."

Now, let it be known, we were **not** talking about the same person. Rolling my eyes, I looked at the clock in the corner of my screen. 2:58.

"Hey, we're off in two. Let's go."

"Kay." Sniggering under my breath, I watched as TK slowly turned away from looking at the two customers and pressed the time clock button register that was a few feet away from my own.

As I did the same to the one before me, I remembered something two minutes too late.

"Damnit!"

Takeru turned to me. "What? What happened?"

Sighing, I roughly hit the 'clock out' button. "I forgot to get her name."

All my friend could do was smile and laugh at me mockingly.

**tbc**

**more author's notes**

Well, I hope you enjoyed it. I know that it is small, but wait til you get the second chapter. I'll post it in a week. Or about a week. One or the other.

Reviews are nice. They make people happy.

TK: Til then.

**st**


	2. Chapter 2

**A Simple Plan  
Chapter 2**

**ST: Heyas, sorry about the delay. Parental problems (yea ty?). Anywho, thanks for the reviews! I'll put out the third chapter in a few days. **

After work, TK and I changed out of our disgraceful marks of teen-employment and switched back to the images that we created for ourselves.

Takashi was a little bit of a goody-goody, and if him and I had never met way back when in 5th grade (when I had brought my first skateboard to class for my own 'show and tell'- modest wasn't I- and he asked me to teach him how to skate), I'd bet he'd be a true-blue butt kissing, boot licking, suck-up do gooder, perfectionist samaritan type. Not that, even though I tried to stomp it out of him the best I could, he didn't sorta turn out that way anyway.

The only thing he gained from befriending me, besides utmost coolness-cause, even though the estupido jocks and plastic cheerleaders at our school didn't yet see it, we were what made cool cool, was a slight shift in clothing and music style, realization that being gay was a-okay, and the ability to skateboard.

I know, it doesn't seem like much, but c'mon! You shoulda seen him before I took him under my wing. He let his mother pick out his clothes for Kami-sama's sake! He's damn straight lucky to have me.

Anyway, that day Takeru was wearing a Zoo York tee shirt and a pair of baggy long pair of shorts. Could you see the blonde in Ralph Lauren jeans and a starch white polo shirt? Heck no.

Me myself, I had mucho style. I was sporting a pair of black cut-off shorts that hung (barely) above my knees. My shirt was one of those shirts that had a comical saying on it, this one being an "I'm famous in England" one. I thought it was pretty killer.

Not that what we were wearing was really relevant to the story I'm telling. Naw, I'm just giving you a feel of us character's personalities.

Back to that day: after getting out of our prison uniforms and shoving them into our already overstuffed backpacks, we grabbed our beat up skateboards from the storage closet in the back of the Shake Bake and made a bee-line for the exit.

Before we left, we both took a quick glance towards the booth that had earlier held Freakin Beauty and her evil, murderous, wicked pest-of-the-west brother, hoping to (maybe) see them again- me, her, TK, him, crazy for crap head. But, no such luck.

But I didn't worry all that much. I mean, Odiaba was (and still is) a small town, a flyspeck on the map, a truck stop on the way to the coast. There's a 7 out of 10 chance that you'll see the same people everyday, everywhere you go.

I knew I'd be seeing/hearing/talking to her again.

Well, anyways, after realizing that our love interests were no longer within human contact, we left the dreaded workplace of doom, a large weight lifted off from our backs. We were free.

Um, that is, until the next day when we'd have to trudge our way back in there and be slaves once again to the world of commercial fast food that would kill someone if he/she ate it continuously for four weeks straight (which some people actually would) for another wasted summer day. Ahh, the price to pay to be paid by the most certainly (loaded) obese owner/head-manager.

Pushing our skateboards along, we cruised moderately down the sidewalk. Our conversation went as followed:

"So, there should we go?"

"Um, I dunno man. Where do you wanna go?"

"Depends. What should we do?"

"I have no idea."

"I do."

TK looked tempted to shove me off my skateboard. Laughing, I jumped a fallen sign from a nearby coffee house and casually said, "Let's pay a visit to Kenny."

"Sounds like a plan."

Now, one thing you should know about our good friend Ken Ichijouchi is short, simple, and really hard to forget- unless you look past it and think he is just a misunderstood genius, which, proven by a multitude of therapists and specialist, has a factor of 2 out of 7 chances of being correct- he's insane.

Filthy rich, a kick-ass skateboarder and bass player, funny, but completely and totally mind-blowingly insane. Just like that. Even he admits it.

But, even if he's off his rocker, he's such a blast to be buds with. I remember one time, about two years before the summer of the present, where us three all got together one Saturday and rode our bikes to the coast, every single 7 miles of it.

Anyways, once we got there, Ken took us to this one huge cliff. I'm talking, 12-foot high ledge with mass-destruction and slow and painful death at the bottom, waves crashing viciously against it.

The crazy freak wanted us to jump it. Said him and his older, late brother used to do it all the time when they were kids.

I had two questions:

One: Where were your parents?  
(He said that they almost had a heart attack when they found out what the two siblings had been doing every time they'd run off once the family had laid down a blanket to establish a spot on the beach.)

Two: Late brother, meaning your dead brother?  
(Which he quote unquote answered, "Did I ever have another brother? Didn't I tell you that he died four years ago in a car accident?" Oh, and not one where Ken's brother was driving, oh no. He wasn't even in the car at all, not to mention not old enough to drive it. Ken's brother died by getting sideswiped by and SUV while rollerblading blindfolded along the curb, a result of a dare made by one of his friends. If you ask me, I think that they were both nuts.)

Well, after long contemplation and logical consideration (which was a grand total of 6 seconds), Takeru and I did the only thing we could do: We jumped right along side our blue-haired friend.

Not that we'd do it ever again, oh hell no. But, I'd have to admit; it was one of the most, thrilling, heart pumping, exciting experiences of my short-lived life. Well, at least up until the summer of present.

Anyways, back to the story I'm telling.

Ken doesn't seem like the rich type, not at all- not for a simple second. Of course, first impressions with Ken usually only last for a second, and in the end (or what you think is the end) turn out to be quite the opposite.

Most people would automatically think of him as a struggling soul, an artist who's parents could never understand him or provide him with the environment and attention (or lack of attention) that would help him gain his full potential, A loner, a distant mind, a real hottie. I've heard him be described in many a way, but never even close to the true him.

Kenneth Ichijouchi does not have a struggling artist's soul. His soul is a kooky, wild, daring one with total disregard for limitations of the body and mind. And his parents, they do care, immensely, and they understand him completely (or completely enough to not blow up on his actions), but, honestly, how do provide your son with the tools to achieve such an outlandish goal: to break five world records. I think that they're doing one heck of a job so far; letting him scrape his knees, but rushing over to douse it with rubbing alcohol and pat him on the back with encouragement, and then always reminding him to please be careful.

He's definitely not a loner. In fact, he says on a daily basis that he hates to be alone. And, maybe his mind is a bit distant, but not angsty distant. Naw, he's more of the "I'm thinking of a new near death experiment/adventure/idea to test out".

And about the hottie part, well, you'd have to talk to TK about that one. I mean, me being straight and all, I just wouldn't know, now would I?

Truthfully, I guess that if I did swing either way, I'd find Ken immeasurably attractive. What with the sorta-long blue hair and midnight violet eyes and like-silk voice, I'm not shocked yo see girls (and sometimes guys) swoon and stutter like love struck frission-freaks would.

But, I just so happen to **so not** swing that way. Nu uh.

Anywho, he's the type that wears band tee shirts. It's all about the music with him. His wardrobe is full of concert and label shirts with every single one of his favorite bands smacked on all of them. Metallica, Scorpions, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, and even the Clash (which would be by my influence, since I myself am I punk fanatic) litter many articles of his clothing. Ken has a minor obsession with 80's rock.

I myself enjoyed more of today's kick bands; Blink-182, Trapt, Less Than Jake, Linkin Park, and my utmost fave, Sum 41.

Then there was Teeks. His CD case was full of bands like Yellow Card, Good Charlotte, Ataris, Relient K, and even Jet. 

We were almost all completely different when it came to music (and morals; TK was immaculately precise when it came to school, but would occasionally goof off with much poking from me and Ken; I would slack off during class, but knew that I had limitations, due to my butt-biting parents; Ken, well, he had no morals), Ken being all about the 80s, me being a punk-master, and TK being occupied with his poppy rock (although he hates it when we call it that). But we were three of the closest friends you could ever find.

**((a/n: holy snit, did you like that paragraph? sorry..))**

We, we being TK and I, met Ken when we were 12. Even back then he was kinda funny. And not ha ha funny. His parents thought it was a phase; little did they know that he was always that way and would always be.

Anyways, the first thing Ken ever said to us was, "My brother died a year ago. Do you wanna be my friend?"

Touching, eh? And yes, it did work. The three of us were forever stuck like glue, sticking together through thick and thin, good and bad, always associated with each other. We were like the Mauders of Odiaba. You know, from the Harry Potter books. I was James, the devious mastermind, mischief-maker. TK was Remus, the smarter one- common sense and quick thinking wise, the saver of our skins. And Ken was Sirius, the crazy, daring, lady/dude killer. Quite the threesome, eh?

Anyways, back to that day. Takeru and I made our way to the (large) Ichijouchi residence. We kicked up our skateboards when we reached the driveway, running the rest of the way up the asphalt. 

I rang the doorbell and waited patiently for the door to open. After about two seconds, Mrs. Ichijouchi answered the door, all smiles and welcome.

"Daisuke! Takeru! Ohayo. How are you today? Come in, come in. Ken is upstairs, still sleeping I think."

Grinning at TK, I led the way into the house and up the stairs to the second floor (a true unbelievable thing for regular people who just live in everyday ordinary apartments) that had Ken's room on it.

We sneaked into his room quietly, surrounding his bed. Lying half under, half on top of his covers was widdle Ichijouchi. He was flat on his stomach, his head lying on his left cheek, indigo hair falling everywhere.

Snickering, I motioned to TK to close in on him. I was about to whisper to my blonde buddy that on three we would shout, pull off the sheets, and shake him, scaring the crap out of our slumbering friend, when the unexpected occurred (but of course, with Ken we should've expected him to try to take over the world or something).

Out of nowhere, Ken leapt up and planted a long, wet, rough kiss on Takeru Takashi's lips. Screaming bloody murder, TK pushed away, eyes wide and deep blue and filled with pure shock and horror.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Laughing, Ken sat up and wiped his mouth. "Mornin boys. Man, you sure are lucky that wasn't you Motomiya."

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Chuckling to myself, I sat next to Ken and joined him in watching TK officially freak out. He was sitting on the floor, eyes closed tight, hands covering his face, mouth open wide and a loud, drawn out scream emitting from his lungs.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH (breath) AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Luck doesn't even explain the relief I feel from being spared from touching my lips to your tainted ones. Although I feel deepest sympathy for my unfortunate friend, I can't help but remember that he really shouldn't mind that much, due to the fact that he swings your way."

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Shaking his head, Ken merely replied with, "Whatever dude. You're waxing your poetics waaaaaa-aay too early."

"It's like 3:30 in the afternoon."

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Exactly."

At that moment, a thought hit my head. It was completely random and totally off the subject, except not so much cause we are talking about Ken, aren't we? Anyways, I realized that, maybe, just maybe Ken was a genius. An evil, sadistic, insane genius, but a genius just the same.

It surely would explain a lot. Like how Ken could ditch every other class and spend all the others sleeping and still get straight A's. It would also explain how Ken always could understand my rants, raves, and insistent ramblings, even though all he does is complain about how he has to hear it. Not to mention, him being a hidden genius would fully explain how he was able to get away with everything. Like he would with kissing TK.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" TK was obviously somewhat calming down. His voice was beginning to start to crack anyways. Ken got off his bed and approached the now groaning blonde.

He grabbed TK's hands and pulled them away from his face. Sitting on the still paralyzed boy's lap, Ken smiled wickedly and licked his cheek.

"AHHHHHRRRGGG! GERRROFF ME DAMMIT!"

"Nu uh, no way. You're hott. I think I could sit here alllllllllllll day."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Rolling my eyes at my friends' immaturity, I got up myself and walked over to the pair, easily pushing Ken off my dramatized comrade. "Yea yea. How I befriended a gay and a bisexual, I shall never know. Now get your guy-loving, sorry butts up and listen to me."

Ken shot up onto his feet, saluting. "Aye aye captain. What's today's plan?"

"Mission 1, track down Yama and ask him about band openings. Latest I heard, their rhythm guitarist left for college. What have you heard about your brother's band TK?"

The half-disgusted, half-annoyed disgruntled blonde joined me and Ken on his feet, shoving Ken angrily before looking my way and saying, "Um, nothing else so far. All that I know about it is what my brother told me a day ago, which was that he's really desperate and is in a very vulnerable situation right now."

"What kind of vulnerable? Available vulnerable?"

Glaring daggers at the innocently smiling bluenette, TK continued. "He's having tryouts tomorow. I think it's an all day tryout. Which means you'll be able to stop by anytime."

I rolled my eyes. "No duh Teeks. All day tryouts usually means that they go on all day. It doesn't take a blonde to figure that one out."

Ken sniggered. "Or does it?"

We both cracked up, leaving Take-chan blushing with all the blood he could send to his head. Apparently he didn't like those blonde jokes. So, Ken and I made it a point to poke him about it every chance we could.

"Yea yea," he growled, trying his best to shrug it off, as if it didn't bother him one bit. "What else is on your to do list? And nothing stupid! We almost got totally busted last week for pulling that prank on Yolei's parents and their convenience store."

"Hey!" Ken said. "I happen to think that Dais' idea to hold Miya hostage for a summer's worth of 5-finger discounting was a complete stroke of-"

"Idiocy?" I scowled at TK.

"Oh, like you could think of anything better, huh? Well, I know for a fact that you're going to absolutely love my next Mission."

He sighed, "What is it then?"

I held up tow fingers. "Mission 2, track down the hottie from Shake and Bake."

"Hotties you mean."

Ken, who was beginning to let himself wander (Teeks and I both think he should look into getting Ridilin. He's a complete ADHD candidate), suddenly asked, "By you saying hotties, is it safe to assume that you were scoping out a hot dude, and if so, what's his naslap?"

**((a/n: naslap is like asl, except longer. Nname, aage, ssex-yes or no, llocation, second aavailability, and ppreference-boy or girl))**

"Nu uh! I saw him first!"

I barged into the soon to be argument between the two, most likely to result into a he's-mine, no-way-he's-mine chick-like dude fight. "Age is unknown, we don't know if he has sex, we don't know where he lives, he seemed single, and there was no way to tell what his sexual orientation was. All we now is that his name is Tai, he just moved here, and he's got a really fine sister."

"Naslap?"

"I don't know, but I'm so gonna find out."

This would've been one of those really cool silent, reflecting moments, like in Stand By Me where the boys all stood in respectful awe while staring at the dead body of another kid.

Note the would've.

"Tsk, well if Teeks gets the hot brother and Dai get the hot sister, who do I get?"

Automatically, TK and I both said, "The hot dad." "The hot mom."

Obviously this was a joke. But Ken is never to be taken seriously, unless he is being serious. Which is never.

"So, which one is hotter?"

Both of us groaning, TK and I turned to each other with a look of "Typical" on our faces.

"You guys, really! Naslap?"

tbc


	3. Chapter 3

**A Simple Plan**

**Heys, it's me, Sentay. Well, I didn't get as many reviews as I'd hoped, but I still enjoyed to get them! In answer to a few questions: Kari's baggy shirt? Well, Dais has a very over active imagination. Boys…**

**And, thankies to the following:**

Lil Gold Fishie, Lar-lar, J.P.G (Jessica Grimaldo) Ty, tania15, snowflke, Keep-onxRocking, and – my still number one fan- mima57775.

**Thanks to you all! You all rock!**

**This chapter is dedicated to TysonFoxFlame. Dude, you so rock. Now, get working on Black Rose!**

**And now back to the story. **

**plan**

**chapter 3**

Missions 1 and 2 were, if not fewer than my usual daily brain activity, quite simple. I had it all planned out before 5 o'clock, the time my mother wanted me home for dinner.

After watching TK and Ken play Tony Hawks Pro Skater 4, I had every intricate detail for the next day perfectly planned out.

Work, band tryouts, listen for talk of anybody moving in. The last one would be the easiest, cause in a small town like Odiaba, news travels very fast. I was surprised that I hadn't heard anything at dinner that night with my parents.

But that made finding out more about Miss Wonderful a challenge. And Daisuke Motomiya always loves a good challenge.

Besides that though, maybe a little more info on me. Yea, I guess I forgot to do an intro.

Well, if you haven't caught on just yet, my name is Daisuke Motomiya, Dai, Dais, or Davis for short. I'm 16 and will be in my 10th year next school year. My best friends are Takeru Takashi, nicknames that consist of Take, Keru, Teeks, TK, blondie, etc; and Ken Ichijouchi.

I am an only child graced to two pretty cool parents. My mom works for the local deli, so free turkey cold cuts are always found in our fridge. My dad owns a small sports equipment shop, but I still don't get discounts.

Then there's my cough sister. I know, I just said that I am an only kid, but you'd lie too if you had Jun as your sister. Anyways, I hardly ever even consider her human.

Well there you go. Now back to the more important stuff: the day of my missions 1 and 2.

At about 3 o'clock that day, I was once again free from the daily work grind and ready to put my plans into motion.

The first mission I decided to achieve was yes indeed Mission 1 (no brainer, eh?), which was Get An In On Matt's Band.

Grabbing my nonembarrasing clothes (an ancient Clash tee shirt I had jacked from Ken's closet and basically the same pants as yesterday- except that these were blue) and transforming from bored Shake Bake employee to totally kick, borderline class clown-troublemaker, I quickly grabbed my skateboard and my beloved guitar case from the storage room and wheeled my way out of the back exit.

Carefully making sure that my guitar was safely strapped and hanging around my shoulders. I semi-awkwardly made my way towards the last place I wanted to be yet the place where I was going to prove myself.

Thing is this: In Japan, a condiment is like an everyday house to Americans, right? Well, you can't have band practice in a dinky apartment, can you? Heck no.

So, Yama and his band rented out the school's gym for the summer and held during-school-year practices in the rather large shed out back behind the auditorium. And the gym was where I was heading to officially become a member of the Teenage Wolves.

Matt's band was actually not all that bad. Well, wouldn't be once I was in it. Anyways, the band consisted of the essential people: Firstly Yamato Ishida, TK's older brother (the last name thing, I know, confusing. To be explained later), the band's leader in both management and guitar.

Yamato would be quite the tricky one, mainly cause we really didn't like each other all that much. It's a looo-ong story, one that I'm sure to speak of later.

Yea, back to Matt though. He's you typical serious, tortured artist, oh-woe-is-me-I'm-moaning-all-cause-nobody-takes-my-seriousness-seriously, I'm-gonna-go-write-a-song-about-it, then-I'll-flash-my-stupidly-attractive-smile-and-make-all-the-girls-swoon-and-steal-a-cetain-someone's-love-of-their-life-and-tear-their-soul-and-heart-apart!

……

Sorry. I guess that me myself am a writer, too (no duh, Daisuke Motomiya, song writer and lady charmer at your service!), so maybe I myself, being a fellow artist and all, shouldn't hate him for that. Oh no, I should, and always would hate him for another very well known few reasons.

Dirty, rotten, backstabbing, son-of-a-

Ah, um, back to Matt's grumble grumble band. Yes, the band.

… Besides Yama there was, of course, a drummer, a bassist, and a rhythm guitarist. With them, no problemo whatsoever. Actually, they were pretty cool.

There was Koushiro, Izzy as he was so affectionately nicknamed, the band's bassist and track mixer. In fact, one look at Iz and you wouldn't ever think Koushiro and 'being in a band' in the same thought. You see, Kou didn't go to regular high school at first; he used to be enrolled in the nearby, exclusive, hoity-toity, smartsy private school.

Supposedly, from what I heard TK say about what Matt and said about what Izzy had told him, Iz decided that he wanted to be a regular, everyday teen. So, he had his parents enroll him into the local, 1,700-population Odiaba High School.

But, even though Izzy started his sophomore year as a "regular-everyday-teen", there was nothing to be done to change the fact that he was and looked like a total geek/nerd. That smartsy school had turned him in to my worst, "what if" TK nightmare, if you know what I mean.

Anyways, Geek Koushiro was befriended by Matt when (from what I heard) the red-haired one tutored the blonde one in Math (come to think of it, neither of the Ishida-Takashi brothers are very good at math). That's when Matt discovered that, in Izzy's old school, everyone was required to play and instrument.

Upon receiving the fact that Kou played the cello for, like, 6 years, Matt had the oh-so brilliant idea of forming a band. With his 4 years of independent experience with a guitar and Kou's 6 years of orchestra, Ishida was determined to get a move on towards the music career.

So, pulling a School Of Rock (you turn it to the side and, c-hello! You've got yourself a bass), Mat starting posting flyers everywhere, calling any drummer and guitar players forward.

In the end, Matt and Kou picked out two pretty damn good musicians. A guy named Jyou, whom Izzy brought in (he was a geek, too) who was surprisingly killer on rhythm (but nowhere as kick as I myself) and a dude by the name of Takuya, the drummer. He was a year older than me, a Junior the year I was a Sophie (Matt and Iz were Seniors that year, Joe was one year older than them). Takuya, I thought he was a pretty cool guy. Waaaa-ay too much sugar, though. The drums really suited him. 

Anyways, back to the whole point of me carefully shredding the sidewalk that led to the High School, a guitar strapped to my back:

Joe graduated. He decided to go to Tokyo Med School and become a doctor (what a loser).

And so I was moving in for the kill, taking my perfectly placed opportunity that was totally up for grabs and prepared to blow their minds away with my wicked awsome talent and then totally be granted a spot on Odiaba's All-Star rock band. Booya.

So maybe I was a tad overconfident. You would be too if you were the Almighty Daisuke.

Yea, back to me and the band tryouts. It took, like, about 10 minutes to get to the school (you'd take 5 extra minutes too if you had a heavy electric guitar banging against your back the whole way you were skateboarding down 5 blocks), and I was all sweaty and tired, but my spirits were high and I was so ready to be inducted into the band.

Did I put enough emphasis on the word was? Well, I will now. **_WAS_**.

Many ask if I was upset about being beat to the Teenage Wolves' search for Odiaba's greatest rhythm guitarist since, well, Yamato himself (I'll have to admit that Matt is one hell of a guitarist). And you know what I tell them?

**HELL YEA!**

But overall, I'd have to say that I really didn't want to be in Matt's stupid band.

… who am I kidding?

Anyways, back to the band tryouts: Um, well, there weren't any. At least not when I got there.

You see, when I skidded up to the entrance of the gym, I was so sure I had this in the bag. And then I walked into the gym, my skateboard in my right hand- guitar in my left and still hanging off my shoulder slightly (ready to be played in an instant).

What I saw took every smart alleck, wisecrack, sarcastic, self-confident remark (which is quite the astonishment, cause Ken has told me that my mouth has this endless supply to these things, quite to my liking- yet sometimes disadvantage) right from my tongue. Mr. Arrogant, I'm-gonna-bite-your-head-off, gimme my fries punk, bushy-haired-bogus-big-brother-of-Ataris-hottie Tai was sitting on the amps, laughing with the all Holy Yama, holding what really looked like a guitar.

Completely shocked and confused, I stood in the open doorway, perspiring and breathing heavily, my guitar thunking to the ground as my clammy hands dropped its items.

I probably would've been able to sneak my way out, if my mouth had just been able to stay shut, and maybe-just-maybe if my hands hadn't let go of two of the heaviest things I own, causing the entire gym to echo with a crashing sound.

"Shit," was my immediate reaction. Hey, you'd react that way too if you dropped 36,000 yen electric guitar onto the slicked wood floor. If me dropping things to cause the other occupants of the gym (Iz and Takuya were in the far right corner, eating chips- Yama and coughlosarcough Tai were in the far left, where all the equipment was) to notice that another person had entered wasn't enough, then Matt hearing my voice was the icing on the cake.

"Dais? Well, well, well. If it isn't Keru's little friend."

I gritted my teeth as I bent over to pick up my fallen treasures. As I glanced over towards the sickly singsong voice of Yamato Ishida, I smiled proudly and said, "Hey. How's it going?"

I made my way across the gym, the distance between me and dumb and way dummerer seeming to triple times ten.

"I knew you'd be here. I'll bet Keru told you that I was having tryouts, eh?"

Finally face to face with the jackass of the century, I shrugged my shoulders. "What can I say? I guess I'm just willing to lend you my musical frission."

Alright, with Matt you should expect that there are no strings attached, even-though-you-and-me-are-or-were-friends-I'm-still-gonna-give-you-crap, total jerk action. So I wasn't completely crushed when he laughed in my face.

"O-kay. Whatever. Not like it matters. We've already got someone to replace Joe."

Playing stupid (which really isn't that easy when I so wanted to make them feel dumbed down), I said, "Who?" I swear that I was two seconds from chucking my board at the stupid brunette when he raised his hand in an obvious attempt to piss me off.

"That would be me, Bacon Boy."

The two boys laughed like brothers, leaving me to blush and angrily growl. "You aren't serious. Matt, you're gonna let this-this New Guy in and not me?"

He huffed, "If you were the last guitarist in the world, and I needed a band to survive, I would never come close to picking you."

"That's because you're stupid," I sneered. Some comeback, eh?

As Tai sniggered, Matt grinned spitefully. "Sorry kid. You just aren't cut out to play with the big boys."

I clenched my fists. "Kid? KID? I'm only two years younger than you! Not even! I'm 16 and you're 17! What the-"

"Exactly. You're a future Sophomore, I'm a future Senior. You're a loser, I'm not. End of story."

But you see, if this were the end of the story, then, well, I wouldn't be telling it.

"So, you're telling me that cause I'm a 'Kid' (yes, I mimicked the quotations), you won't even hear me play? That's complete and utter bullshit."

"Ain't it the truth, ain't it the truth?"

I shook my head stubbornly. "No, it isn't! Well, it is, but, but, it's not fair!"

"Cry me a river, build me a bridge, and jump off."

Scowling, I gathered my belongings and made my way to the exit. I turned around quickly and yelled back, "Just you wait Ishida! I'll get you back so bad, you-you-your hair will turn white!"

Angrily kicking the door open, I tried my best to ignore the loud laughter coming from the gym. When I got outside I threw my skateboard down and kicked it.

Which wasn't one of my brightest moves. Sometimes I let my temper get away with me (although TK would like to say otherwise; he has this crazy idea that I always let my temper rise too quickly). 

My skateboard rolled across the gravel parking lot and hit a nearby car. Consequentially, Murphy's Law held true and bad just got worse. All of a sudden, when contact between the front tire and my board was made, the car alarm went off and the loud, annoying rings of the Chevy sounded throughout the lot.

"Shit! Shit shit shit!" I ran over to pick it up, hoping that the owner wouldn't run over out of nowhere with a pry bar and beat me to a bloody pulp (too many Road Rage videos from Driver's ED).

Luckily nobody did. Hurriedly restrapping my guitar to my shoulders and stepping onto my board, I pushed my way towards the sidewalk.

You know when your parents tell you to always look twice when walking in a parking lot? Well, I never thought it would pertain to skateboarding, but it does.

As I was distracted by my thoughts of a certain pain-in-my-ass, oh-so loved, blue eyed bastard, a car crept up behind me and honked real loud, scaring the shit outta me.

Yelling in fright, I spun around, ready to shake my fist angrily at the driver. But, have you even tried to spin around while on your skateboard, forgetting that your feet were still on a board with wheels? Well, it's nearly impossible. So, naturally, I fell over, elbows hitting the gravel and my guitar slipping off my shoulder and clattering onto the floor.

Of course, I was frustrated enough. So you can understand my reasons for groaning loudly and jumping up to face my to-be challenger.

My anger quickly dispersed, for I found my savior; Freakin Beauty.

Oh ho ho, was she a bella. I stood, fists instantly unclenched and jaw opened wide, staring at her gorgeous figure. She was in the driver seat of a black convertible, her brother's sunglasses on her own face. I wanted to walk over to her and rip them off, telling her that her eyes were too good to be looking through such tainted lens.

Instead, I stood there and stared. Until she honked the horn again, that is.

"HEY! GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

Flustered, I stepped aside, dragging my stuff with me. She pushed the gas slightly, pulling up enough for us to be face to face. "What the hell is wrong with you? Are you trying to get yourself killed? I- Oh my god. Daisuki?" (1)

I nearly jumped in place, my heart fluttering at the words. Did she just say-did she mean- oh my god, "Huh?"

She shook her head and clicked her tongue. "Oh Jeeze, I'm sorry. Was your name Daisuki or Daisuke?"

Kicking myself for letting my heart act before my brain, I quickly put a few words together. "Um, Dais-Dais- uh, Daisuke. Daisuki means- um, uh-"

She waved her had impatiently. "Yes, yes. I know. Sorry about that." Grinning a grin that made me want to melt into a puddle, she pushed the sunglasses up on top her head, much like her brother, and said, "What're you doing? You look like hell."

I blushed and muttered, "Bad day, don't ask."

Laughing, she pushed a button in her car that unlocked the doors. "Need a ride?"

Nodding, I picked up my dropped-too-many-times items and got in, piling it all in the back. Slamming the door shut, I turned to her and smiled. She smiled back. "Where to?"

I gave her Ken's address (for that's where Teeks, Ken and I were supposed to meet and have a victory feast of junk food and sushi). Instead of driving towards the parking lot exit, she just stared at me. I blurted, "What?"

Blinking, she sarcastically said, "Oh nothing. Just that I have no idea where that is, being that I just moved her two days ago you know."

"Oh, sorry. Um, take a left when you pull out." Wanting to bang my head against the window, but couldn't since they were rolled down, I guided her towards the street that she would take that would directly lead us to the Ichijouchi residence.

Once we were rolling, obeying the speed limit by only one mile, she turned to me and said, "I'll bet you're wondering what my name is, huh?"

"Naw, here it's custom for the women to stay as inconspicuous as possible, quite like the children. Seen and not heard."

She scoffed. "Excuse me? Well I guess you broke your own law, there buddy boy. You sure look like a child to me." Ouch.

"I was just joking."

"I know."

Oh boy did I love her even more. "So, what is your name?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Do you always pick up conspicuous strangers that you've only met once? You never know what kind of people are out there. You could be picking up a real maniac, you know? I'm talking about a real psycho. The kinda guy who'd rip your hear out and eat it for pleasure."

She laughed. "Okay there Cusack. Chill. The name's Hikari Yagami. But you can call me Kari if you want." Oh god, Hikari. The light of my life.

"What if I wanna call you something else?" Hot? Beautiful? Mine?

"Depends." She was trying to sound serious, but her grin gave her away.

"Well, how about _ma bella_?" (2)

"How about I kick you where it hurts?"

"Um, it's the big white one with the blue shudders."

"That's what I thought."

She pulled up and turned the key, letting the engine die. We sat there for a moment, stealing glances at each other. Finally, she turned to me and asked, "So, are you gonna get out or am I gonna have to show you how to open the door?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "If you wish it."

But I didn't give her the chance to smart alleck me any more. Quickly grabbing my things, I got out of her car and stepped out onto Ken's drive way.

So many memories were paved into that drive way. Like the time where we were 11, when we ran out of chalk and so we used Ken's Dad's paint to draw pictures on the cement. Took two years for it to wash off completely. And like the time where Ken decided to teach himself how to drive at 13. Ran the car into the garage door.

And now a new one. Me watching Hikari Yagami winking at me and pulling out of Ken's driveway, squealing the tires as she raced down the street and out of sight.

Sighing, I turned towards the house that I wished I did live at and walked up towards the entrance, all the while thinking, "Kar, _ma bella_. Just you wait."

**tbc**

(1) in case y'all didn't know, daisuki means to like a lot.

and

(2) _ma bella_ is french for _my beauty_

Please review all thoughts, comments, suggestions, and so on!


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